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Author: Mike Palm

Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury can be a polarizing figure in the Penguins fan community. On one hand, he led the Penguins to consecutive Stanley Cup Finals, including a championship in 2009. On the other hand, he’s had spectacular postseason flameouts in two of the past three seasons.

On the heels of Fleury’s new four-year, $23 million extension with the Penguins, we thought it might be informative to take a look back at his career since he was the No. 1 pick in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.

(Chaz Palla | Trib Total Media)

2003-04

21 GP, 4-14-2, .896 save percentage, 3.64 goals-against average

(Getty Images)

2004-05

54 GP, 26-19-4, .901 save pct., 2.52 GAA

(Spent season with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in AHL during NHL lockout)

(Chaz Palla | Trib Total Media)

2005-06

50 GP, 13-27-6, .898 save pct., 3.25 GAA

(Chaz Palla | Trib Total Media)

2006-07

67 GP, 40-16-9, .906 save pct., 2.83 GAA

(Chaz Palla | Trib Total Media)

2007-08

35 GP, 19-10-2, .921 save pct., 2.33 GAA

2008-09

62 GP, 35-18-7, .912 save pct., 2.67 GAA

(Philip G. Pavely | Trib Total Media)

2009-10

67 GP, 37-21-6, .905 save pct., 2.65 GAA

(Christopher Horner | Trib Total Media)

2010-11

65 GP, 36-20-5, .918 save pct. 2.32 GAA

(Chaz Palla | Trib Total Media)

2011-12

67 GP, 42-17-4, .913 save pct., 2.36 GAA

(Chaz Palla | Trib Total Media)

2012-13

33 GP, 23-8-0, .916 save pct., 2.39 GAA

(Chaz Palla | Trib Total Media)

2013-14

64 GP, 39-18-5, .915 save pct., 2.37 GAA

(Chaz Palla | Trib Total Media)

2014-15

9 GP, 7-2-0, .931 save pct., 1.89 GAA

Fleury is approaching 100 wins in the postseason. He led the Penguins to the Stanley Cup Final in 2007-08, when the Pens lost to the Red Wings, and 2008-09, when the Pens got revenge for their first Cup since 1992. Here’s a closer look at how he’s fared in the playoffs:

A recent trip to an abandoned cemetery in Ross led me to wonder who else was buried around Western Pennsylvania. Turns out there are quite a few sports Hall of Famers, a Revolutionary War veteran, a former Supreme Court judge, captains of industry and a man everybody thinks of as their neighbor.

Herbert Morrison, a radio reporter who witnessed the Hindenburg disaster in New Jersey, is credited with saying, “Oh, the humanity, all the passengers. I don’t believe it.” He’s buried in Scottdale Cemetery in Westmoreland County.

After scrolling through 50 pages of Etsy, I’ve discovered that the yinzer who has everything doesn’t actually have everything Pittsburgh.

Whether it’s a gavel from the 1985 UMWA convention in Pittsburgh, vintage shirts, Starter jackets, Pitt dog collars, ugly scarves (and there are a lot of them), Steelers bird feeders or belly rings or zubaz pants, you can find it all on Etsy.

The Steelers announced Wednesday that they would retire the No. 75 jersey worn by defensive tackle “Mean” Joe Greene, becoming just the second number retired by the team. Defensive tackle Ernie Stautner (70), who played from 1950-63, has the only other retired number.

With that in mind, here’s a look at the retired numbers for the other Pittsburgh pro sports teams, as well as some selected college teams.

If you say Pittsburgh beer, the first thing to pop into most people’s minds is going to be Iron City. I’m sure these commercials (and many others) played a key role in the connection. Through the years, some commercials have captured the city better than others.

13. Pour on the Iron: Backyard football

Can easily say I haven’t seen any adults playing backyard football … ever.

12. Show them where you live.

Ah, appealing to the homer in all of us.

11. Gimme the night. Gimme an IC Light

Clear, refreshing and bright. The choice is always right.

10. Pour on the Iron: Wedding

This looks like more fun than most weddings I’ve attended.

9. Pour on the Iron: Keg tapper

Al Luccioni demonstrates the art of tapping a keg

8. Dedicated to the preservation of the wild life

Not sure if any of this ever happened in Pittsburgh, though.

7. Pour on the Iron

Sparkling, robust flavor that does your thirst a favor.

6. Workin’ on a cold Iron

Pure 1990s cheese.

5. Hey, gimme an IC Light

Pure 1980s cheese. Who hasn’t had this happen on a city bus?

4. Pump an Iron

A rollicking country song with plenty of Steelers imagery.

3. Pour it on, Slugger

Bill Mazeroski pitching the local brew.

2. You can’t keep an Iron man down

A classic tune.

1. Tell ‘Em Ray

An absolute gem, and the inspiration for this list. Can’t quantify how many times this ran during Penguins telecasts.

This year’s NHL draft is approaching this weekend, so it might be a good time to take a look through the Penguins’ draft history — specifically the first round — and see where they might want a do-over. Here are the Penguins’ top 10 biggest first-round busts, including three who never played in the NHL:

If you grew up in Western Pennsylvania, it’s more than likely that you spent some time at Kennywood for school picnics or just a day at the amusement park. With more than 30 rides to choose from, we thought it might be useful for newbies if we rank the rides so that you can make the best use of your time.

After a totally informal polling of Trib Total Media staffers, here are the best (to worst) rides at Kennywood:

Thunderbolt

Josh Yohe: The quintessential wooden American roller coaster.

Rob Biertempfel: The granddaddy of ‘em all.

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Jack Rabbit

Sue Jones: A classic that never fails to entertain.

RB: The double-dip always gets me.

JY: The double-dip has stood the test of time.

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Phantom’s Revenge

MP: The buildup to the top seems to take forever before the first big drop, and the second drop is even more of a doozy.

JY: An adrenaline rush few rides can match.

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Log Jammer

Keith Hodan: On school picnics, that had to be a favorite (especially at night) of 15 and 16-year-old boys who were lucky enough to visit with their girlfriend or crush BECAUSE … the ride requires the girl to lay back against the guy between his legs, so the boy would wrap his arms around the girl. Floating along in the dark, it was the location of many first kisses (and second, third and more)!

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Cosmic Chaos

MP: When you’re spinning at the top of the ride, it feels like you’re going to go flying off into the trees.

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Swing Shot

MP: The weightless feeling at the top, and the belief that you might go over the top, make this a winner.

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Racer

JY: It isn’t very fast, and the seats are too small. A unique concept, but better in theory than in execution.

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Aero 360

KH: Means you are able to vomit north, south, east, west, up and down without ever leaving your seat. And for extra points, I think it’s the only ride where you can vomit on the way up and have it land back in your own mouth on the way down!

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Sky Rocket

JY: It defies physics. In a good way.

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Black Widow

SJ: Rode it for the first time a couple of weeks ago, and that was the end of my day.

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Raging Rapids

SJ: Great fun on a hot day.

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Wave Swinger

RB: Simple. Fun.

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Pittsburg Plunge

Kitoko Chargois: After getting sunburn from waiting in long lines at Kennywood all day, the Pittsburg Plunge starts to feel like the best ride the park has to offer.

Melanie Wass: My kids have stood in the splash zone for as long as an hour to cool off on a hot day when the lines for actual water rides were waaaaay too long.

KH: A perfect ride for a hot day. You will get soaked, plus it’s fun to watch unsuspecting visitors standing on the bridge get soaked as well.

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Bayern Kurve

SJ: Oh no, not for me, particularly if you’re the person on the outside or back getting squished.

RB: Always makes me wanna hurl.

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Turtle

RB: A classic since 1927.

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Pirate

MP: A good icebreaker for getting the day started at Kennywood.

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Kangaroo

SJ: You have to work really hard not to smile on this ride.

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Exterminator

Adam Brandolph: The Exterminator is my favorite. Not only does it whip you around like a rag doll, it’s in pitch black darkness so you can’t brace yourself. So much fun!

KC: If you’re of height, I don’t think you can have the full Kennywood experience without riding this one.

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Whip

MP: A classic — literally — dating back to 1918.

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Volcano

John Lehner: Ah, the Volcano! What used to be the Enterprise, the ride is probably known as being one of the most vomit-inducing rides in the park. In my youth, I used to love this dizzying thriller, but there seems to be an indirect correlation going on; the more gray hairs that sprout on my head, the less my stomach can stomach this ride.

SJ: Did it once and thought I was going to fall out.

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Merry-Go-Round

MP: A ride that’s stood the test of time — make sure you get a horse and not the chair.

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Ghostwood Estate

Kelsey Shea: I think in the age of Wii and smart phones, Ghostwood Estate’s draw is a little lame. Shooting ghosts? There’s probably an app for that. Relatedly, you can’t shoot ghosts! They’re ghosts. Maybe if you sucked them into your backpack, Ghostbusters style, I could get on board.

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Gran Prix

JY: Too many cars creates little speed. Blah.

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Paratrooper

MP: The line doesn’t look that big, but it always takes too long for a short payoff.

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Noah’s Ark

Jim Wilhelm: Nostalgia. Generations have visited that ride at the park, going through the vibrating/shaking floor and the rocking boat that weaves inside and outside.

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Garfield’s Nightmare

JY: My kids don’t have nice things to say about it.

SJ: The line takes forever, and the ride is lame.

RB: Honorable mention for Hardheaded Harold’s Horrendously Humorous Haunted Hideaway (now called Garfield’s Nightmare) — back in the day, when I was in high school, it was a five-minute romantic getaway.

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Musik Express

MP: The lack of padding is no fun for the person on the outside, and the smoking area right next to the line only makes it worse.

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Auto Race

MP: Not sure how this doesn’t qualify as a kiddie ride.

Note: Not included are Kiddieland rides and attractions with extra charges (like the Skycoaster and Paddle Boats).

With word of Paul McCartney’s third stop at Consol Energy Center in July, it seemed like an appropriate time to take a look back at some of the top acts to perform at the arena since its opening in 2010. In no particular order…